


depending on where I am with you

by cinderlily



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: College AU, Coming Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 19:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8765428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderlily/pseuds/cinderlily
Summary: It was pretty standard for Max to come to Duke when he was going on a date. Not like, an every time thing but more often than not. So when he showed up at his dorm room on a Friday afternoon with a manic look on his face it was fairly clear what he needed. “When is it?” Duke asked. “A half an hour,” Max said, shuffling his feet. AKA, Some people over think things and some under. It's got to be a balance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written because the story walked into my head fully formed, strangely.

It was pretty standard for Max to come to Duke when he was going on a date. Not like, an every time thing but more often than not. So when he showed up at his dorm room on a Friday afternoon with a manic look on his face it was fairly clear what he needed. 

“When is it?” Duke asked. 

“A half an hour,” Max said, shuffling his feet. 

Duke rolled his eyes. “Dude. When did you ask her? We could have had TIME to do this, man.” 

“Uh,” Max leaned against the door and scratched at the back of his neck. “He asked _me_ about an hour ago.” 

The room, even with the music coming from Duke’s speaker, went eerily quiet. “Quois?” 

Max couldn’t seem to make eye contact with Duke, looking around him like somehow Duke was invisible. “See, I’ve been going to the LGBT center for the last few weeks.” 

“The Rainbow Center, when? Why?” 

“I started cause… this chick was there. She’s bi and hot as fuck and I thought, eh who’d care if I showed up. I’m an Ally and all that good shit, but then like. I was there and people were talking and I was like, maybe I’m _not_ an ally. And Hannah, that’s the hot chick, started dating this girl Blake and I was like cool, I’ll just stop going. 

“But you know, I went the next week. Cause it was nice. And then this guy showed up. And he’s ridiculous, Dukes, like out of control MODEL level gorgeous… Plus you would totally dig him. He’s funny and sweet.” 

Duke highly doubted he would like him. 

“So today after group we talked for a while and I asked if he wanted to go get coffee sometime and he said ‘Why not tonight?’ and … uh. I said yes? So I think I have a date in…” Max checked his watch. “Twenty five minutes.” 

Duke swallowed around the urge to rant at him in Quebecois, when he was already so tightly wound he looked like he might actually pop. “Okay, let us go to your room?” 

Max beamed. “You are the BEST Anthony Duclair. Seriously. I owe you like the ultimate wingman night. Though who knows, things go right and I might not be on the market…” 

And perhaps he closed the door to his dorm room a little too hard as he heard a slight crack but the doors were made of plywood and super glue so whatever. He ignored the look he got from Max and locked the door. His roommate wouldn’t be back that night. He stayed at his girlfriend’s or his parents’ on the weekends. It was pretty routine. 

“You okay?” Max asked. 

“Yeah,” Duke lied. “I uh, had a long day of classes. I still do not understand why I have to take _another language_ when I speak two.” 

Max laughed. “You’re the dumbass who chose Russian. Come on, French and Spanish are romance language. You are using a different ALPHABET.” 

“I like hockey,” he said. “Ovechkin, Malkin… they’re killer.” 

“And on the off chance you ever get to meet them you can totally ask where the bathroom is…” Max teased as he opened the door to his own room, only a few doors down and on the other side of the hall. 

Duke kept to himself that he had specifically learned how to ask Malkin if he could climb him like a tree, because they hadn’t shared that shit. They’d hit it off day one of orientation but five months of friendship wasn’t really fast enough to come out when you had barely come out at home. Except if you’re Max, apparently who just _comes out_ on a whim. 

They walked into the room and found Max’s roommate playing video games, headphones on and not paying attention to the world. So pretty par for the course. 

“Hey Luke,” he said like he always did. He didn’t get a response, again like always. 

Max went into his closet and swiped a few very bro-ish polos in varying colors. Duke made a face. “What?” 

“Dude, you’re going to coffee not a Frat party,” he said. 

He pointed to Max’s bed and went to the same closet. After the amount of times that he’d picked out the guy’s clothes he was pretty aware of his wardrobe. He flipped through the shirts and got to the one that he was spot on. He pulled it out and grabbed a pair of Max’s tighter dark jeans and handed them to him. 

“Really?” Max eyed the short sleeve dark black button down with thin white stripes skeptically. “That was something my mom got me to go to church in.” 

Duke side eyed him. “Your mom either goes to a different church than me, or she is going to be a lot less shocked about your revelation than you think.” 

“Shut up,” Max groaned. “I’m not thinking about my mom right now. Or like. All night.” 

Duke looked at his cell phone and showed it to Max. “Tick tock goes the clock.” 

“FUCK!” Max bellowed. 

Then, with no warning, he stripped down to his boxers. Luke, off in his own little world, didn’t turn around. Duke had to forcibly look away at a poster on Max’s wall that was a picture of his whole family on a beach in Hawaii when Max was little. He kept his eyes focused on Max’s mom. That was a good way for him to ignore the urge to um… think things. 

A minute or two passed with him staring dedicatedly away from Max before Max laughed. “Are you afraid to look at me, fucker?” 

Yes, would be the correct and incorrect answer to give at the moment. 

“Naw, you’re mom’s just hot,” he said and Max threw his old shirt at Duke’s head. “Okay, look at me and tell me the truth.” 

Duke didn’t close his eyes but did send a silent prayer that the outfit would look hideous and the idea of him on a date in it would calm Duke’s nerves. Higher powers were not on his side. He looked over to find Max looking basically exactly how he suspected he would. Cocky and gorgeous. So, just Maxish. 

“Thoughts?” Max asked, pulling on the shirt’s bottom. “Do I tuck this in?” 

“No!” he said, loud enough, apparently, to get Luke’s attention. He looked over. 

“Oh, nice Max, date?” 

Max shrugged. “Hanging out.” 

“Eh, good one,” Luke said and looked back at the screen. The guy needed out of his dorm room. 

The clock on Dukes’ phone told him he had maybe five minutes left if the guy was on time. “Wet your hair down and put on some aftershave. Wait, let me go get the good shit. You use that shit from the grocery store.” 

He walked back down the hall to his door and went into his bathroom. Truthfully this was more of a moment to catch his breath then for him to do anything else but Max’s aftershave was pretty fucking awful. He looked at himself in the mirror and rubbed at his face for a second before he walked back out and started back towards Max. 

There was a guy at the door. Tall, pale as hell, blonde hair and even from the back Duke knew he was probably a nordic god. 

“Duke!” Max said, his voice a little _too_ happy. “Thanks, man. Hold on. I’ll. Um. This is Jakob? Hold on one second, Jakob, I’m just going to grab this for a …” 

He grabbed the aftershave and left Duke standing in front of Jakob. Chick-something, actually. Duke had met him a few months before at a welcome event. 

“Hey, you’re Anthony, right? You used to come to …” 

Duke held up his hands and leaned in with a desperate. “Um. Max. Max doesn’t know. I mean, I didn’t know about Max until… but he doesn’t know I am… so could you…” 

Max came back out, smelling a lot better and smiling again. He handed Duke his aftershave. “Okay, ready to go?” 

“Yeah,” Jakob said, his voice slow. “I guess?” 

“You sure?” Max asked, and his smile faltered and Duke felt like a big piece of shit.

Jakob shook his head and grinned at Max. “Sorry, of course. It was nice to meet you, _Duke_.” 

With a smile from Max and an awkward nod from Jakob they headed down the hallway and Duke just stood watching their backs. 

*

It wasn’t that he didn’t have other friends, he did. He probably could head over to the house and hit up Murphs or Tobi for some comfort in the form of alcohol or probably a little pot but he was really not in the mood to go out. So rather he curled up on his bed and went onto ‘totally legal’ methods to watch the Habs play the Islanders. 

It was a little ridiculous of a game, the Islanders were playing like AHL and the Habs were playing like it was do-or-die. It was nice for him, though, to watch his team beat up on another team. Even if he had screamed and yelled in the off-season when they’d traded PK. 

He ordered a pizza and a two liter of soda, eating and drinking pretty much the whole thing and knowing that he was going to regret it the next day when he went to intramural hockey. Whatever, he deserved a good mope. 

Time shifted, he must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew the door was being knocked on, and the feed was completely blank. He blinked and saw the time was just passed one. He lived in a dorm, one wasn’t too late but damn if he wasn’t annoyed because he hated being woken up. 

The door opened and of course, it was Max, with a huge grin and wide the fuck awake. “DUDDDDDE.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Wait, were you asleep?” Max asked, and he laughed. “When did you turn old?” 

He shrugged. “I got hockey in the morning.” 

“Oh come on, come ON. You’ve gone straight from my room, lamer,” Max pushed past him. “I see Dylan is gone for the weekend.” 

“Is he ever here?” 

“Fair point,” Max flopped on Dylan’s bed. “I have to tell you about this date, man. It was awesome.” 

Duke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Dude, one am. You went on the date six hours ago. You could at least be doing the walk of shame or something.” 

“No walk of shame!” Max said, sounding as shocked as Duke was. “We talked. A lot. And made out. But like, that was it. Talking and making out. It was golden. He’s funny, and he likes hockey. He’s trying out for the actual team next year, he’s been in training. I could be a hockey WAG! Or… BAH? I don’t know how it would work.” 

“It doesn’t _work_ , Max. You know you couldn’t be out if you were dating him,” Duke snapped. 

Max looked up from the bed and froze. “Why are you being such a dick?”

“I’m sorry,” he paused. “You just _couldn’t_. You get that right? Even if you and Jakob were together and he made the team, he’d keep you a secret. It’s how it works.” 

“It’s not _how it works_ or it doesn’t _have to be_.” 

Duke swallowed around a knot in his throat. “It really is, Max.” 

“Whatever,” Max stood up and frowned at him. “I’m out. You’re a fucking buzzkill and I don’t want to deal with you.” 

Duke would have stopped him but there wasn’t much to say. He knew better than anyone that you couldn’t have a relationship and be in hockey. Or out at least, in hockey. He’d made that decision at 16 years old, and hated himself for the last two years before he left for school. 

He remembered the look on the singular guy he tried to date in high school’s face when he showed up at the game and Duke had to treat him like a friend. Eric was sweet and kind and everything you’d want to date in this life, but he was not something that Duke could have and Duke learned that. He had to move past that.

The stupidest part was that as soon as the door closed he wished he could take it back from Max because he really didn’t have to deal with it for a while and that he ruined that moment of happiness hurt him almost as much as the fact that he was having that happiness with freaking Jakob rather than him. 

He put his laptop up onto his desk and curled up on to his bed, not falling back asleep for a while. 

*

Hockey sucked the next day, well. Not being on the ice. He liked the ice, the cold, the stupidness of his teammates that made him feel like he was part of the team. They had rigged the stupid sound system to play “Sir Duke” once when he scored as he, in general, was the scorer on the team.

Most days that would make him grin and chirp everyone, but rather he just felt a little annoyed. He tried his best to smile and play it up but it felt insincere and he hated that. He was in a mood. 

Another thing was that, most of the time, Max was in the stands, waiting for him to be done so they could go get lunch or mess around on his Xbox but he wasn’t today. Of course not, he was either still coming off the high of the date or ignoring Duke or both. None of it settled well. 

They won the game, beating the crap out of the other team, on the back of him hitting a hat-trick because he had anger to push him forward enough and give him the initiative to kick some ass. 

Everyone wanted to celebrate, he claimed hang over and went to head back towards his room. 

And there was Jakob. 

“Hey,” Jakob said, tentatively. 

Duke frowned at him. “Max isn’t here. Go to his dorm.” 

“I wasn’t looking for him, though I half expected he would be here. He talked about you playing enough. Nice hattie, by the way.” 

Duke gave a singular jerk of his head. “Thanks, look, I’m beat. I’m going home.” 

“You like him, don’t you?” Jakob jumped in. 

He froze, a few steps away from Jakob. He swallowed and turned around but knew that he really didn’t have to say anything when that was his reaction. “So?” 

“ _So_? He doesn’t even know you’re g—“ 

Duke glared at him and said through clenched teeth. “Stop.”

“Are you freaking kidding me here?” Jakob frowned at him. Duke grabbed him by the upper arm and led him out of the building and into the part of the parking lot that was least accessible. “You are this far in the closet? You said things were hard in high school but I don’t think anything warrants you staying in the closet when you’re from a different _country_.” 

Duke felt his stomach jump. “Are you dumb, dude? Are you crazy? Max tells me you want to try out for the team next year. You think you can be OUT on the team? Like that’s a possibility.” 

“We’ve been on one date,” Jakob said. “Let’s not talk about a year from now… but no matter what I’ll be out on the team. I’m not lying to my teammates. I mean, if I don’t have a boyfriend, I won’t make it an issue but if I do? Why is it so different than them having a girlfriend?” 

Duke rubbed at his face. “Are you from some sort of compound? I mean you are ridiculously gorgeous, optimistic and _DELUSIONAL_.” 

Jakob rubbed the back of his neck.“I’m not ridiculously gorgeous.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me? That jaw? Those eyes. This is not the point. If you get on the team, which you will no doubt do as I just assume you are amazing on ice, because that is my life… what does that mean to Max?” 

“Nothing,” Jakob frowned. “Or something? But in the long run? I don’t think you want it to mean anything to him.” 

“Why wouldn’t I want my friend happy?” Duke crossed his arms. “You think I’m a dick? I don’t want him going into this expecting to be a BAH and find out that it’s shit and he’s miserable.” 

“BAH?”

“Boyfriend and Husband, he came up with it. Don’t ask,” Duke sighed. “Look, he likes you. I really like him. I want him to be happy so … yeah.

Jakob squared his crazy perfect jaw. “ _Anthony_. You don’t like him. You _like him_. And you want something more from him. And look, not gonna lie. Max is nice. He’s funny and hot and makes some pretty catty comments when he wants to which is always entertaining especially when we’re at meetings. 

“But… like. Last night? He talked about _you_. I got to hear all about you and your hockey. I got hear about your misadventures. I got to hear about your damn meet cute, for fucks' sake.” 

“We didn’t have a meet cute,” Duke frowned. 

Jakob rolled his eyes. “First day of college floor meeting. You had to find at least three things in common with one person in the room. He was the first one you talked to and you found a sheet full. The guy doing the contest didn’t even count it, so you won a gift card to get _ice cream_ together. It’s from a bad college rom-com. All you’re missing is a song over it from some band I’ve never heard of.” 

Duke’s hands balled up and relaxed and he was pretty sure he was going to scream even though he didn’t really want to. He wanted to just get out of there. He also didn’t want to look at Jakob’s face anymore. He was tired. Even if they did have a ‘meet-cute’, which they didn’t, Max was obviously smitten for Jakob and he wasn’t going to take that away from his friend because he had a crush and Max was a lamer who talked about his friends too much on a date. 

“Look, dude,” Duke said. “Don’t fuck with Max. If you like him, date him. Don’t take me into account. He’s a good guy and he likes you. But don’t dick him around. He deserves better than that. Now, I’m _going home_.” 

He turned on his heel and walked back towards the rink, knowing the easiest way to get to his dorm would be through the huge arena, plus it would take him away from Jakob faster. 

*

A few hours later he was officially in mope mode when his door swung open and Dylan walked in looking annoyed and flung himself onto his bed. 

“What are you doing back, it’s Saturday?” Duke asked, probably more annoyed at his roommate than he should be. 

“Rachel is pissed at me so she needs ‘breathing room’ or whatever that means.” 

More curious than anything else Duke asked. “Did you do something?” 

“I didn’t listen to her talking about the play she got into,” he said. “I _did_ listen, I was just not jumping for joy or something. So she got all annoyed. And then I said it would suck cause that would mean we would have less time together and she got _double pissed_ and why the hell would THAT piss her off? I want to spend time with her?” 

If anything was an actual movie moment it was probably this, because the light went off above his head. “You just had to say, ‘Awesome! I’m so proud.’, dude. That’s all she wanted. Why are straight boys so freaking dense?” 

He paused because he realized he said that last part out loud and not just in his head. And he waited. And he waited. 

“Us straight guys?” Dylan said. “Are you included in this?” 

“... Nah.” 

Dylan made a noncommittal noise. “It took you till almost semester to say anything about this?” 

“Is it that big of a deal?” He asked. 

“Nah, but I would have probably been a little less confused about all the time you spent with that Max kid. He’s your boyfriend, right?” 

Duke sighed. “Not my boyfriend. I mean, you’re not dating Mitch. He’s just your friend. I’m allowed friends.” 

“Dude, there are friends and there are _friends_ ,” Dylan said, still lying staring at his ceiling. “You guys like live in each other’s pockets.” 

“So did you with Mitch until you found Rachel.” 

Dylan huffed. “Whatever, you’re gay. I’m not. Mitch is halfsies. So if you aren’t dating Max…” 

“Halfsies? REALLY?” he rolled his eyes. “Mature. Plus, I’m good.”

“Eh, trying to get my friend laid. I mean, it’s just buddies.” 

Duke sighed. “Call your freaking girl and tell her you’re sorry you were a giant dick, you’re really excited about her being in a show if it means so much to her. If you’re smart bring her some flowers and say they’re a preview for opening night.” 

“Oooo,” Dylan made a noise and sat up. “You’re good. You’re really freaking good. Total buddies. Are you sure about Mitch? He’s totally sweet and funny. Like, if I did dudes…” 

“Get out. Go see your girl.” 

Dylan put up both his hands. “Okay, just trying to help out. Geez, I’m the one who’s in a fight. I should be the bitch in this situation.” 

He didn’t even wait for Duke to answer before he hit send on his phone and walked out of the dorm room, not locking the door behind him. He sighed and frowned. He felt like he was in a fight with his boyfriend, which was totally lame. 

If he was _with_ Max he would have at least gotten to first by now. Hell, he would have gotten to the fucking plate. Instead, he’d been in the batters box for five months and … well. It sucked. 

The thought hit him and he was pretty sure he wanted to vomit. He was in the batter’s box because he hadn’t _stepped up to the plate_. Ugh. He hated baseball metaphors. And Dylan. And Max. Okay, not really Max and Dylan was pretty cool as much as roommates went. 

He had no choice here, really. This next part was going to suck.

*

He felt like an idiot standing outside Max’s door. He had food, at least, some food he knew that Max wouldn’t be able to resist. It was the closest he figured he was allowed to get to flowers. He stood there with a distinct feeling of foreboding, though. 

He only knocked once before Luke opened the door with the look of a man about to hit someone. “Oh thank fuck.” 

“What?” 

“Fucker has been in a mood all day, and like twenty minutes ago he gets a phone call and now he’s moping like he’s a tween,” Luke grumbled. “Fix it Duke, you’re my only hope.” 

Duke frowned. “That’s my line.” 

“Haha, I’m Luke,” Luke said with no humor, and then pointed over his shoulder. “FIX.” 

And, for the first time in weeks, he watched as Luke walked out of the dorm room. It was weird. Like a dog walking on its' hind legs. He walked into the dorm room and wasn’t shocked to find Max on his bed, curled on his side and staring at his wall where his family photo was. 

“Uh, hey?” 

Max didn’t even roll over to look at him. “Go away fucker.”

“Fuck her? I barely know her,” he tried an old joke but usually one that got something out of him. 

Nothing. 

“What happened?” 

At this, Max did roll over and looked at Duke like he was the devil himself. “Oh yeah, like you don’t know. First you are a fucking DICK to me last night when I’d had a good first date and felt awesome and shit and then, get this? I get a phone call from Jakob telling me that maybe we should talk after I figure shit out with you. 

“What did you do? Call him? Find him and talk him into freaking out about hockey?” 

Duke exhaled slowly, cause getting pissed off would just make this end up worse. And he didn’t need things to be worse. Cause it was pretty bad right now and it might not be getting any better in a few minutes. 

He put the bag of food down on the counter and Max barely flicked a look at his favorite restaurant’s logo. 

“I didn’t find him,” he said. “I was planning a good case of ignoring everything till it went back to normal actually. But Jakob showed up at hockey this morning.”

Max glared at him. “How did he know where you were?” 

“Apparently you told him. Or he’s a stalker. Either way, not my choice.” 

“I didn’t…” Max hummed. “Okay. I might have told him. But he was talking about hockey and my BEST FRIEND played hockey.” 

“What do you mean _played_?” 

He was being a brat, Duke had seen Max’s brat phase much more than once. “Best friend’s don’t tell their friend’s … _dates_ things to make them cool it off. Are you a homophobe? Is this what that is?” 

Duke couldn’t help when the laugh started, because his stomach had been hurting all day and that one stupid sentence had made it switch to weird almost butterflies. Yeah, he might be a bit of a homophobe but not at all in the way that he was being accused. 

“It’s not funny, Duclair.”

He started to mutter in Quebecois, under his breath practicing what he wanted to say but also admitting to all the reasons this was ridiculous. 

“You know I hate it when you do that,” Max said. “Say what you want to say and get out. I’m not in the mood.” 

“I’m not homophobic, Max,” Duke said. “Or if I am it is only for myself… I … I went to the Rainbow room at the beginning of the semester, where I met Jakob at one of the first meetings. I thought maybe I’d be able to meet some LGBT friends. Because I am the G in that.” 

Max’s tight angry glare relaxed into a confused brow furrow. “What?” 

“I am gay,” he sighed. He’d only really said it maybe a dozen times in his life, sometimes with tears, sometimes angrily, but this time it was a confession. Not guilty, but just final. He knew that if he told Max, he’d have no excuse but to tell everyone. 

“What the FUCK?” Max stood up. 

Duke braced himself. “Look. I know it’s a lot to take in. I just... “ 

“Didn’t trust me for the entirety of our friendship? I told you … everything…” 

“Except for when you were going to the LGBT room,” he pointed out. 

Max rubbed at his face. “I thought you’d make a big deal about it. I was chasing Hannah and then… that fell apart. You were the first person outside of group I told about it.” 

Which probably should make him feel… something. Good, probably. Thankful or lucky, but in the end, it didn’t it made him feel even more tired than he already felt. Because it was exhausting holding his secret in and he had been doing so for pretty much as long as he could remember. From himself when he had a crush on Henrik Samuelsson in third grade to his family when he really realized it at 13 and from everybody besides them from 15 on. 

He had to hold this secret even from Max who had been instantly his best friend and Max… Max just let it go and out. 

He had no real right to be mad, but as his grandmere had always told him ‘ _It is not how you feel that you control, but how you handle it_ ’. 

“I had a crush on you from the moment I met you, from the first time you did that stupid smile and laugh. I looked up Type 1 Diabetes and read everything I could about it the day after that stupid intro night just in case I needed to know what was going on with you. And then you told me about your girlfriend back home and whatever delusions I had shut down. So I shut down. 

“I went to the Rainbow room hoping to get some buoy to hold on to but found nothing. I didn’t tell you because I’ve told five people in total. My mom, my dad, my first boyfriend-- if you could call him that, my therapist and one of my coaches when I went to World Juniors. Who told me, by the way, that if I wanted to move forward I had to ‘get over that’. That’s why I won’t try out for the team. That’s why I told you to be realistic with Jakob. Not because I’m a dick, or … maybe mostly not. But because I know it will hurt you and I don’t want that.” 

He paused and took a few deep breaths and when it was clear Max wasn’t saying anything he finished with. “Now you can call Jakob and tell him that you cleared up this ‘ _thing_ ’ with me and move on. He seems like a nice guy.” 

He turned around and made it to the door before Max’s arm landed on his back and flipped him around. 

“This whole time?” He asked, head tilted and eyes focused. “You liked me this whole time and now you’re just going to punk out on me?” 

Duke brushed Max’s hand off of his shoulder. “I’m not punking out. You and Jakob had a good date. You like him, he likes you.” 

“You dink,” Max shoved him against the door. “One good date does not equal five months of apparently amazing dates that just ended without me getting some.” 

And then they were kissing and Duke’s brain was somewhere else. He’d spent so stupidly long waiting for himself to get over the Max thing that this ending had not been one he’d seen coming. He put his hand up and cupped the back of Max’s neck, just in time for Max to pull him back and lead him towards his bed. 

They fell back and Duke landed on top with an ungraceful ‘oof’ which elicited the best kind of Max’s laughs. 

“Be gentle, French boy, this is my first time,” he said, feigning coy. Duke didn’t point out it was his too. Save for a few random make outs in the back of his car in 11th year. It ended up being okay because after twenty minutes of sloppy making out they were both basically made of sensitive nerves and came with barely a few strokes from the other’s hands. It was a relief he didn’t know he needed. 

He put his head against Max’s. “Ugh. Practice, Max. We’re going to practice on that.” 

“Shut the hell up, I rocked your damn world.” 

Okay, that wasn’t a lie. 

The door opened and Luke walked in. 

“Oh thank _fuck_ ,” he said and then scrunched his face. “Also gross. Sock on the door, newbs. Sock on the damn door.” 

Max laughed so hard he clutched his sides as Luke walked back out and locked the door behind him. 

It was more than he ever thought he would get. And as much as he hated to admit it he owed the Perfect Jawed Jakob some beer.

**Author's Note:**

> For Freetodream5, as she is lovely and deserves all the good things in the world. <3 
> 
> Title from Carly Rae Jepsen. 
> 
> If you're in college and need a place to talk, find your LGBTQIA Room. Seriously. It will change your life. <3


End file.
